Kaldresh
The Vistani of the Kaldresh tasque are generally the most practical of the Vistani, concerning themselves more with crafts and trade than entertainment or mysticism. Kaldreshites tend to be physically fit and well suited for long travel and hard labor. They are pragmatic and somber in both dress and demeanor, eschewing unnecessary ostentation. The Kaldresh are polite to giorgio and put up with insults and harassment that Vistani of other tasques would not likely suffer. This is merely an extension of their practicality, as they recognize the importance and necessity of giorgio coin. This is not to say that they are friendly with giorgio; they suffer their company but almost never accept them as friends. Powers: The Kaldresh are the tasque least concerned with mystical matters, but they are not without powers of their own. They are apparently extremely long lived, and indeed, the Kaldresh believe that they are removed from time altogether. They do not appear to mean this metaphorically, and their powers of fortune-telling would seem to support their beliefs. A Kaldreshite seer is able to see events far in the past or in the future as if they were occurring now, and to the Kaldresh that may indeed seem to be the case. The Kaldresh also have an unusual talent for locating conflict. Wherever blood is about to be spilled in war, it seems as though the Kaldresh have already arrived, ready to sell weapons or provide healing to the soldiers. Crafts: The Kaldresh survive by crafting goods and performing services for the giorgio. Each tribe of the Kaldresh specializes in a different craft. Many of their crafts go to supply armies on the march. In many ways, the Kaldresh remove the necessity forsupply wagons, as they always seem to have what an army might need and seem to be there to provide it. This is certainly a profitable skill for the Kaldresh, but it gives them an unfortunate reputation as feasters on human misery. Giorgio who know of the Kaldresh often call them "carrion crows." Some even claim that they cause conflicts just so they can have the opportunity to profit from them. The Kaldresh ignore these insults, knowing that the giorgio need no encouragement to fight amongst themselves. When no wars are being fought, the Kaldresh set up camps on the edge of villages. They sell their goods at prices just low enough to undercut the local merchants, earning them no small amount of enmity. After a few days, they pack up and move on to the next town. Tribes: There are three known tribes within the Kaldresh tasque: the Kamii, the Equaar, and the Vatraska. The Kamii are excellent metalworkers, rivaling dwarves in their skills. They craft and sell weapons, armor, metal jewelry, tools . . . virtually anything made of metal can be found and purchased at a Kamii camp. They do not create magical items and therefore rarely have them for sale, but they do craft and sell masterwork weapons. The Kamii also sell "cursed" weapons to those who insult or displease them. These weapons appear to be normal, even high-quality weapons, but they are subtly and skillfully flawed. "Cursed" weapons suffer a -1 enhancement penalty to attack and damage rolls. The weapons are not magically cursed and may be dropped or discarded at any time, but the flaws are so skillfully concealed that an Appraise check (DC 20) is required to notice anything wrong with them. The Equaar are expert animal breeders, handlers, and trainers. When traveling they resemble nothing so much as shepherds working to make sure their disparate flocks and packs of animals do not wander off. Virtually any kind of animal can be bought at an Equaar camp, including animals that have already been trained. Trained animals sold by the Equaar include riding animals such as horses and ponies, pack animals such as donkeys and mules, and hunting animals such as dogs and falcons. Equaar horses are particularly prized and sell for at least twice as much as standard horses. They are worth the cost, however, as each is fully trained to obey a variety of commands. Equaar horses bond with their owners quickly and accept no other riders. Horrors of the Night 207 All of the Equaar have natural skills with animals and can be considered to have the Animal Empathy and Handle Animal skills at high levels. Many of the Equaar also possess the Track feat, enabling them to find wayward animals. They have been known to sell their services as trackers as well. The Vatraska are healers and herbalists. They are a small tribe, and their caravans are difficult to find. Even when found, they may be mistaken for the Kamii, for they supplement their healing arts with blacksmithing and tinkering, though they do not approach the skill of the Kamii. All Vatraska are trained from a young age in the healing arts and therefore possess the Alchemy and Heal skills to some degree. The Vatraska specialize in brewing healing potions, but virtually any variety of potion can be found at their camps. They are also excellent makers of poisons and sell them with no questions asked. Their dual nature as healers and sellers of poisons may seem like a contradiction, but the Vatraska act out of neither altruism nor malevolence. They simply do what they must to survive.